Convertible lounge



(No Model.)

B. C. BA'LKE.

. CONVERTIBLE LOUNGE, &c. No, 559,927. Patented May 12, 1896.

Maw

Qai uddw/ v L flZwfdfimZ/gg I mmzw a GRAHAM. PHOTO-WHO, wASmNsTDIL u c Ihvirnn STATES ATENT rrrcn CONVERTIBLE LOUNGE, 84,0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Extent No. 559,927, dated May 12, 1896. Application filed July 22, 1895. Serial No. 556,764. No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT CARL BALKE, acitizen of the United States,residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Convertible Lounge or Sofa; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has for its object to provide a lounge or sofa with a convertible back that may be brought to a horizontal position for use as abilliard or pool table, whereby such article of furniture may be used either as a lounge or sofa or as a game-table for pool or billiard playing, and the peculiar manner of attaching the back to the arms of the lounge or sofa whereby said back when in position to be used as a billiard or pool table may be properly leveled for such purpose.

The invention consists in a lounge or sofa and a back connected thereto and constructed substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view showing the article of furniture with its convertible back in position to be used as a lounge or sofa, the ball receptacle being shown as cxtended in dotted lines; Fig. 2, an end view showing the lounge or sofa back converted into a game-table, said table being shown in cross-section and one of the pivoted braces partly broken away to show the ad justing or leveling device.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a lounge or sofa of any suitable form and construct-ion, and if preferred may be upholstered in the usual manner and the frame thereof ornamental or plain to suit the taste of the purchaser. A suitable frame I3 is pivoted or hinged to the ends of the lounge or sofa frame, and the inner side of this pivoted or hinged frame forms the lounge or sofa back C when in an upright position, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. The outer side of the convertible frame I3 is formed into a gametablc D, either for pool, billiards, or for any other games desired where a table would be required, and when the frame B is brought to a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the game-table is uppermost and may be used for billiards, pool, or other games.

I have shown the table as especially adapted in the present instance to the game of pool or billiards, and to provide means for holding the cues there is constructed a rack E at either end of the lounge or sofa frame, which rack may be of any suitable construction and adapted to hold any number of cues desired, and when in the rack the cues extend under the lounge or sofa out of sight in order not to mar the appearance of the article of furniture when in use as a lounge or sofa. It is also necessary in games where cues are used to provide a receptacle for balls, which receptacle is shown at F and is pivoted to the under side of the lounge or sofa frame and adapted to be swung out in position to obtain access thereto, as shown in dotted lines of Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The ball-receptacle F may be of any suitable size and construction and is provided with an ornamental front a, so that when the receptacle-is in position under the lounge or sofa frame, as shown in full lines in the drawings, the ornamental front will form a finished ornament to the frame when the article of furniture is to be used as a lounge or sofa.

In this class of lounges or sofas provided with aconvert-ible back to be used as a gametable when brought to a horizontal position it is necessary that the pivoted or hinged frame having the lounge or sofa back and the game-table upon its respective sides should be so connected to the frame of the lounge orsofa as to enable said game-table to be leveled when brought to a horizontal position so as to adapt it to any unevenness in the floor or other foundation upon which the article of furniture rests. To provide for this adjustment or leveling of the table, said table is connected to the ends of the lounge or sofa frame by two independent braces G II at each end thereof. These braces are pivoted at one end to transverse strips 11, which form a part of the convertible frame 13,01 the braces may be pivoted to any other portion of the frame, as found most desirable. The opposite ends of the braces G II are pivoted in any suitable manner to the ends of the lounge or sofa frame, the brace G being somewhat shorter than the brace II and has at one or both ends suitable slots 0, through which the screw or pivots extend. The slotted ends of the short braces G enable said braces to adapt themselves to the adjustment of the table when being leveled and at the same time remain in a vertical position. The slots in the short braces may be dispensed with without affecting the adjustability of the table; but the short braces without the slots would not always assume a vertical position, which is desirable to form perfect braces therefor.

Adjustable supports I are connected to the under side of the frame or table D, and when said table is in position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the supports rest upon that portion of the ends of the lounge or sofa frame serving as the arms thereto.

Any suitable supports may be substituted for those shown so long as they are located between the under side of the frame of the table and the arms or ends of the sofa-frame and are capable of vertical adjustment to properly level the game-table so that the balls will roll perfectly true, in the present instance screw-shanks upon the supports being used as the most simple means for renderin g the supports adjustable, thereby enabling the table to be raised or lowered at either end or side for the purpose of leveling it.

The location of the adjustable supports between the arms or ends of the sofa-frame and the under side of the table-frame enables the game-table to be adjusted or leveled independent of and without disturbing the sofa, the latter remaining stationary while the game-table is being leveled, thereby rendering the adjustment of the table much easier.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A lounge or sofa and a swinging convert-ible frame having a back for the sofa and a game-table upon its opposite sides, two independently-operatingbraces at each end of the sofa which are pivoted thereto and to the convertible frame, and adjustable supports for leveling the table' located between the same and the arms or ends of the sofa-frame, whereby the table is capable of adjustment independent of the sofa, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT CARL BALKE.

Vitnesses:

RANSOM CAMPBELL, IRA BARNEY. 

